Energize Your Medical Weight Loss Plan with Exercise

Losing weight can be difficult and there is no quick fix. It’s more than just dieting. It’s about changing your whole lifestyle. In some cases, a medical weight loss plan may be necessary, especially if you have a large amount of weight to lose. While this type of weight loss plan can be very effective, exercise can be a healthy way to energize your weight loss strategy. Complementing your medical weight loss plan with exercise offers many benefits.

Appetite Control

Real hunger has little to do with the amount of food people eat or why they eat. Many people who overeat do it out of habit or because they are stressed or bored.

Some people say they often feel hungry after exercising.This might be true when you first start being active but exercise can actually aid in controlling your appetite. After the first few days, the hunger pangs will be replaced with a feeling of overall well-being and accomplishment.

Exercise draws on the calories stored in tissues. Because these calories are in the form of glucose and fat, your blood glucose levels remain stable and won’t leave you feeling hungry after you’ve exercised.

Burn Calories – Build Muscle

Any calories burned above and beyond the amount needed to maintain your body’s current weight will help accelerate your medical weight loss plan. Exercise raises your metabolic rate which burns calories. This will help you lose fat and some forms of exercises can help you build muscle. While fat is relatively inert, muscle is active. It needs energy to maintain itself. Quite simply, the more muscle you have, the more calories that are converted into energy rather than fat.

Many studies show that when a person diets, the weight lost is 75% fat and 25% muscle. Lost muscle reduces the body’s ability to burn calories. Building and maintaining muscle while following a medical weight loss plan is important. It can also help tighten and tone your body, accentuating any weight loss you achieve.

Resistance training, such as lifting weights can be effective in preventing muscle loss. If you’ve never done resistance training before, start small and go slowly. Be sure to consult with your physician or obesity medicine specialist about the proper type of exercise regimen for your current weight and medical condition.

Break Bad Habits

Exercise can do more than burn calories and build muscle. It can be a great alternative to some of the bad habits that contributed to your weight gain in the first place.

After dinner, if you normally lounge on the couch watching television and snacking, go for a walk instead. A simple walk around the block a few times may not burn a ton of calories but it will burn a few and every little bit will help with your medical weight loss plan. It will also help your body become accustomed to being active, not to mention keeping you away from the snacks.

Fight Boredom – Relieve Stress

As mentioned previously, one of the causes of overeating is boredom. Eating because you have nothing better to do is something most people have done at one time or another. Stress can cause some people to overeat as well.

Exercising or getting involved in some sort of physical activity will provide an alternative to eating and keep you out of the kitchen. It could be taking that simple walk around the block or participating in a group fitness class. Exercise can relieve stress, combat boredom and help you avoid excess eating while burning calories.

A Medical Weight Loss Plan & Exercise Can Equal Success

There are many health benefits of medical weight loss and exercise can increase those benefits. The key to achieving and maintaining healthy weight loss is to change your lifestyle. Including exercise in your daily routine can help ensure initial and long term success. The hardest part, however, is the first step.

Getting started on your medical weight loss journey must begin somewhere. At Vive Medical Weight Loss, that first step starts at your consultation. Dr. Pinto’s philosophy is to give you the jumpstart you need to achieve and then maintain a healthy weight. Call to schedule your consultation today and begin the journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Our Success Stories

Vicki lost over 45 pounds with the help of Dr. Matthew Pinto and his weight loss program at Vive Medical Weight Loss and Aesthetics.